Our Board 

CEO
Bettye J. Gardner, Emerita Professor of History, Coppin State University, received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in History from Howard University and her Ph.D. from George Washington University.  At Coppin State University she served as the Dean of the Division of Arts and Sciences, and Chair of the Department of History, Geography and Global Studies.   She has been Project Director and/or Consultant for a variety of Humanities projects and National Conferences including the Smithsonian Conference on Historically Black Colleges, the Humanities Council of Washington’s Symposium, “In Vogue: Black Culture and Identity in the Jazz Age”, “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Remembering His Legacy”, “Lifting the Double Burden: A Critical Review of Race and Gender” (NPS), and “1968 and Beyond” (National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution). She served as a Federal Commissioner of the Mary McLeod Bethune National Historic Site and represented ASALH on the Congressional Task Force on “The Use of Slave Labor in the Building of the U.S. Capitol”. 

Her honors include the John Blassingame Award (Southern Historical Association) in 2004 for her scholarly work and her mentoring of African American students; the Outstanding Educator Award (Baltimore Chapter, Howard University Alumni Association) in 2005; and the Bethune Service Award (Association for the Study of African American Life and History) in 2006.  

CFO
Leo Spencer Turnipseed is an entrepreneurial leader, agricultural researcher, and civic advocate with decades of experience driving innovation and sustainability across multiple sectors. His work spans biotechnology, clean energy, small business development, and nonprofit leadership.

Currently, Turnipseed leads critical crop research efforts, applying hands-on expertise in lab, field, and greenhouse settings. He shapes experimental design and streamlines technical processes to support sustainable farming solutions.

He is the founder of Leo’s Services Unlimited, a company that blends investment strategy with community-centered entrepreneurship. His mission: create ventures that deliver real social impact.
Turnipseed’s commitment to public service runs deep. He’s been a featured speaker for government agencies, universities, nonprofits, and industry groups, offering practical approaches to sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.

As Chair of the Clean Biofuels Coalition of Mississippi, he champions clean energy and climate-smart innovation. His work has earned him multiple Paul Harris Fellow Recognition awards from The Rotary Foundation, highlighting his leadership at the crossroads of science, entrepreneurship, and civic duty.
Leo Spencer Turnipseed stands out as a cross-sector changemaker—bridging research, business, and service to deliver solutions that matter, from local farms to national policy tables.

Director
William R. Ferris is a former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities and cofounder of the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis. He is the founding director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi and is coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. He was senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he is professor emeritus. In 2019, he received a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album for Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris.

Director
David Rae Morris, a New York-raised photographer born in Oxford, England, holds a B.A. from Hampshire College and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. His work has appeared in major publications including National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, and The New York Times, and he has contributed to global agencies like the AP, Reuters, and AFP. In 1999, he co-authored My Mississippi with his father, writer Willie Morris. His photography is held in public collections such as the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Mississippi Museum of Art. Morris has documented post-Katrina New Orleans, with work featured in Missing New Orleans and HBO’s Treme. His documentaries include Integrating Ole Miss and the award-winning Yazoo Revisited. He has taught at the University of Minnesota and Ohio University. His 2022 book Love, Daddy received the 2023 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters photography award. He lives in New Orleans with his partner Susanne Dietzel, their daughter Uma, and two cats.

Director
Karen first worked with Mabou Mines in the 1980s on the gender-reversed adaptation Lear, playing the role of Edna (Edgar in the original).  She describes her early work with the Company as truly transformative, during which she “became acutely aware of what it means to be a full creative participant.” Karen’s work with Mabou Mines has earned her numerous awards including her performance as the narrator in Peter and Wendy (OBIE)– called “astonishing and enchanting.”

Karen’s deep commitment to collaboration fueled her work with many other like-minded artists committed to expanding traditional notions of theatre, among them Elizabeth Swados, Ann Bogart, Peter Sellars, Andre Serban, and JoAnne Akalitis (one of the Company’s founders). Karen became a Co-Artistic Director at Mabou Mines in 2015.

Karen’s creative vision continues to move her toward “work that embraces every possibility…”  Currently she is developing a new work with composer Eve Beglarian entitled The Vicksburg Project, a song cycle following women’s lives in Mississippi from the Civil War to today.
Karen is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Among them are three OBIEs, the Connecticut Critics Circle Award, United States Artists, Ziporyn Fellowship, Asian Cultural Council Fellowship and Nominated for a Drama League Outstanding Performance Citation. She was one of only six recipients of the Audrey Skirball-Kenis T.I.M.E. Grant.

Director
Robby Luckett received his BA in political science from Yale University and his PhD in history from the University of Georgia. A native Mississippian, he returned home, where he is a tenured Professor of History and Director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University. His books include a collection of essays, Redefining Liberal Arts Education in the 21 st Century (2021), and a monograph, Joe T. Patterson and the White South’s Dilemma: Evolving Resistance to Black Advancement (2015).

Robby is an Advisory Board member for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the Mississippi Book Festival, and the South Central Region of the Anti-Defamation League, and he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Greater Mississippi and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Association of African American Museums. From 2017 to 2023, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jackson Public School District. For his work in racial equity, he was named a Kellogg Foundation Fellow. Robby has three children: Silas, Hazel, and Flip.

Director
Robert Walker launched his political career in 1984 with his election to the Warren County Board of Supervisors for District 3. After securing re-election in 1988, he successfully ran for Mayor of Vicksburg in a special election that same year. He was re-elected in 1989, serving a full term through 1993. Though he narrowly lost his re-election bid to Joe Loviza that year, Walker didn’t step away from public service.

In 1997, he returned to the political arena, defeating Loviza and reclaiming the Mayor’s office for another term from 1997 to 2001. After his second mayoral tenure, Walker shifted to academia, teaching at Tougaloo College and Jackson State University. His leadership experience brought him back into city government in 2005 when he was appointed Chief Administrative Officer under Jackson Mayor Frank Melton.
Known for his deep commitment to community, Walker remains a respected and influential figure in Vicksburg, recognized for his public service and dedication to the city’s progress.